Hearing health linked to memory loss

Feb. 4—The president of the local Beltone Hearing Centers, Garrett Morgan, is raising the alarm about a recent study linking hearing loss in older adults to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The study was led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It found that older adults with greater severity of hearing loss were more likely to have dementia, but the likelihood of dementia was lower among hearing aid users compared to non-users.

The findings, published online in the Jan. 10 Journal of the American Medical Association, were from a nationally representative sample of more than 2,400 older adults and are consistent with prior studies showing that hearing loss might be a contributing factor to dementia risk over time, and that treating hearing loss may lower dementia risk, a news release said.

"One of the main concerns that a lot of family members have had is memory problems associated with hearing loss. We always do a cognitive assessment as part of our hearing evaluations and one thing that we know to be true is when a patient does have a moderate to severe hearing loss, that patient is more likely to develop Alzheimer's or dementia," Morgan said.

He added that if you get a hearing aid and have memory loss, hearing aids can "greatly slow down" the progression of memory or processing disorders and hearing loss.

"We maintain the ability to detect and understand soft speech," Morgan said.

"We like to think of hearing aids as another layer of protection for that patient; another way to help the brain process information correctly," he added.

Morgan said they had noticed the hearing-mental acuity connection before this recent study.

"But this study was diving in a little further into brain function, or the lack of, as far as when a patient isolates themselves they don't engage in nearly as many conversations with others. What happens is they also can develop what's called auditory deprivation, in which the brain loses the ability to detect and understand soft speech. It makes it much more difficult, even with hearing aids, to process information clearly," Morgan said.

"Studies have shown that two-thirds of the population that's 70 years of age and older, have a treatable hearing loss. I always would train our fitters and dispensers, and audiologists that a hearing evaluation is a window into a patient's overall health. A hearing evaluation can really tell a lot of things about the health of that patient. It's ways to take a look and discover something that may not have been noticed or picked up from their normal health care procedures. A hearing exam can identify a lot of underlying health conditions," Morgan said.

This includes blood pressure issues and diabetes. Morgan said diabetics are more likely to develop hearing loss and balance issues.

"We've identified cholesteatomas, or tumors in the middle ear, Eustachian tube dysfunction. There's a lot of conditions that we've been able to help with a specialist or even the patient's general physician to get them the assistance that they need for what we've identified during the process of that hearing evaluation," Morgan said.

The cognitive tests are a simple, short memory test. Morgan said they were about to get new technology, hopefully within the month, that is a seven-minute test called Cogniview.

"We don't have them yet, but it's almost like a little desktop kiosk where the patient can go in it and perform some basic cognitive functions. It gives them a report on that patient's ability to remember," Morgan said.

Nine out of 10 appointments at Beltone are care and use like wax getting in the product or software or firmware updates on the product, wax removal, or adjustments to the patient for fit.

It's to maintain, sanitize, and keep the hearing aids functioning at a high level.

"Moisture is the No. 1 problem with a hearing device. I think ... 98 percent of hearing aids that are worn daily have some sort of measurable moisture, whether it's down in the receiver or even in the product. We have this machine that you put in a chamber and it gives you a moisture report after it completely dries that product," Morgan said.

Gaming also is a cause of hearing loss, according to a news release.

"Over 1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to increasing exposure to recreational loud sounds. There are estimated to be more than 2.5 billion video gamers around the world, with the average gamer playing more than eight hours per day. Listening at loud volumes or for long periods of time poses a risk of potential hearing loss among gamers. As a gamer, your sound is your edge in the game," the release said.

To maintain an A-level game while playing:

— Keep the volume below 60% of the maximum.

— Take regular breaks.

— Check on your kids and the volume levels they are gaming at.

— Have a hearing test done yearly even at a young age.

HEARING AWARENESS

Garrett Morgan, owner of Beltone Hearing Centers in West Texas provided examples of loud environments and precautions. They also monitor hearing and ear health.

"Once we turn 40, it's recommended to have an annual hearing evaluation. If a patient has normal hearing, they can go through a hearing screening, which is about a five-minute process," Morgan said.

Morgan said they don't charge for the hearing evaluation.

— Busy metro areas are typically 60-70 decibels and can get up to 80. The goal is to be exposed to less than 80 decibels. Anything over 80 decibels for certain periods of time can cause hearing loss.

— Rainfall is about 50 decibels; thunder can be up to 120 decibels; normal conversation is about 60 decibels; shouting in somebody's ear can be up to 110 decibels.

— Power tools can be anywhere from 90-110 decibels.

— Dishwashers can be up to 70 decibels; vacuum cleaners, up to 85 decibels; hairdryers can get up to 95 decibels; garbage disposals can be over 90; flushing a toilet can be up to 85.

— Food mixers and processors usually are 80 to 90 decibels.

— Babies crying usually reach around 110 decibels.

— Machines, handsaws can be up to 90 decibels; tractors, a subway station can be 90 to 120 decibels; leaf blowers are usually around 110 decibels; chain saws, power tools, compact drills are around 120.

— The percussion section at a symphony can be 130 decibels. Concerts are usually 110-120 decibels. Stereo systems are 125 decibels; car races can be 130-140 decibels.

— Indoor gun ranges can be 160-170 decibels, which Morgan said is very dangerous.

— Children's cap guns usually over 150 decibels, which is also dangerous, he said.

Morgan said he can measure decibels with an app on his phone.